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UNRWA and Saudi Arabia Launch West Bank Projects

29 November 2013

West Bank

On 26 November 2013, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) held a ceremony launching a group of reconstruction projects funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through its Saudi Fund for Development, at a total value of US$ 14 million.

The ceremony was held at the UNRWA training centre in Ein el-Sultan camp, near Jericho. Felipe Sanchez, Director of UNRWA Operations in the West Bank, greeted media and attendees including Peter Ford, the Special Representative of the UNRWA Commissioner-General; Munir Manneh, UNRWA external relations officer; and other senior officials. Members of the local community also attended the event.

Mr. Ford, speaking on behalf of Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi, expressed his appreciation for the generous donation. He said: “This project represents a new development in the long-standing cooperation between Saudi Arabia and UNRWA on projects in the West Bank. It is further proof of the depth and the wide-ranging nature of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, which was the third-largest UNRWA donor in 2013.”

This programme, governed by an agreement signed on 26 May 2013, comprises a variety of projects, including the reconstruction of 180 housing units and the rehabilitation of 750 homes in Palestine refugee camps across the West Bank. This will greatly improve the living conditions of over 930 Palestine refugee families currently in dilapidated homes. Funds have also been allocated for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of three schools, as well as the Hebron Health Centre. The Saudi Fund-supported projects will conclude in November 2014, 18 months after the signing of the agreement.

Background Information

UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA Programme Budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall. UNRWA encourages all Member States to work collectively to exert all possible efforts to fully fund the Agency’s Programme Budget. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.